It’s never too late to get fit! Fitness After 50 shows you exactly how to get there, addressing all of your questions about exercise—and more. Whether you are completely new to exercise or are looking to fine-tune your existing program, this information-rich book will show you how to get started, stay on track, and have fun as you meet your fitness goals.

This easy-to-understand manual also serves as a self-paced workbook, which teaches you what to ask your doctor about physical activity, how to exercise safely, and how to fit activity into your busy schedule. If you have an existing medical condition such as heart disease, osteoporosis, or diabetes, you will also find ways to adapt your activity level to your condition. Sample aerobic, muscular fitness, and combination programs are provided, along with lifestyle strategies for fitting activity into your daily routine.

Fitness After 50 offers reliable advice you can trust. Authors Walter Ettinger, Brenda Wright, and Steven Blair are among the most highly regarded experts in the field of physical activity and health. And since all of them are over 50, they understand your needs and concerns firsthand. Easy to use and full of more than 50 forms, lists, and other learning tools, Fitness After 50 is the one-stop source for fitness information that you’ll reach for again and again.

Walter H. Ettinger, MD, is a physician and university professor with a specialty in gerontology. He is also president of the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center. A board-certified specialist in aging and the muscle and bone systems, Ettinger is a nationally recognized researcher, teacher, and clinician in these areas. He also published the seminal article demonstrating the importance and safety of exercise in people with arthritis.

Brenda S. Wright, PhD, is the vice president for program development for INTERVENT USA and a health promotion consultant. For 12 years she served as director of behavioral science and health promotion at The Cooper Institute in Dallas. There, she developed comprehensive lifestyle management programs for delivery at worksites, health and fitness centers, clinics and hospitals, and government agencies. She has also developed patient education materials for the Baylor Senior Health Centers in Dallas as well as health promotion programs for assisted living centers in Washington, Florida, and Texas. In 2002, Wright received the Distinguished Alumni Award in human ecology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Steven N. Blair, PED, Steven N. Blair was the senior scientific editor of the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health in 1996 and received the Surgeon General's Medallion for his work. Blair is a Professor of Exercise, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics in the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina; and Executive Lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation at the University of North Texas. He has served as the president of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity. Blair has three honorary doctorates, a 1994 doctor honoris causa from the Free University of Brussels; a 1996 doctor of health science, from Lander University; and a 2002 doctor of science honoris causa, from the University of Bristol, UK. He also is a Benjamin Meaker Fellow at the University of Bristol.

Regardless of age, say the authors, everyone should feel the exhiliration of exercise and derive the health benefits from a solid workout. They understand it's never easy to start: You have to get motivated, find time, assess risk and safety issues and develop an individualized plan. Since this can be daunting, the authors start from the beginning—getting started, then preparing, acting and maintaining the program. They stress the importance of keeping things interesting and challenging, and they give special emphasis to lifestyle changes that use everyday activities to help you keep fit: take the stairs, walk the dog, forget drive-up windows, don't use anything remote. Stage by stage, the authors provide the mental, emotional and behavioral skills necessary to keep active, and the workbook format is a useful tool.

A simple, encouraging guide to maintaining fitness after the age of 50."